The ever-changing sizes of Mario and Bowser

From NES to Wii, we chronicle the fluctuating stature of Nintendo's biggest icons

Rather than point out their still-the-same sizes, we wanted to show some of the wackier interpretations we’ve seen during this 20-odd year trek. Furious Mario? Spike-fingered Bowser? All for a game of soccer? Calm it down a notch, boys.

Just about the same in Olympic Games, but our eyes detect a slight increase from the typical sports outing. Maybe he’s buffing up for his next big throwdown in...

Regular Bowser is a decent size in Melee and Brawl, but the horrific Giga Bowser final smash unleashes what he could have looked like had he been designed by Cliffy B. Funnily enough, even this supercharged version is smaller than the hot tub Bowser in Super Mario Sunshine.

Hm, he’s certainly quite large, probably more so than the N64 Bowser, yet he’s significantly tinier than Sunshine. Maybe it was the warm tropical air of Delfino Island that swelled him to such great heights – who knows?

And that last bit – “who knows?” – is the only answer we can offer as to Bowser’s true height. However, there’s definitely a pattern forming. If it’s a sports game, expect a close call, with Mario coming up to Bowser’s midsection or neck at best. If it’s a once-a-generation 3D platformer, look for a titanically suped-up dino who manages to always surround himself with the precise equipment necessary to defeat him.